Left: Lute or oud? This is possibly the earliest image of the oud evolving into a distinct European lute, c. 1300, from the embroidered Steeple Aston cope, England. It has more the shape of the lute and a single rose rather than the multiple roses of the oud. However, if we take the image literally, it still lacks frets. Right: Medieval lute, detail from a painting by the Cologne School, c. 1440.